1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a file management system that provides user interface for systematically managing a plurality of files and a computer program product.
2. Description of the Related Art
With proliferation of information technology devices, such as personal computers (PCs), digital cameras, and cellular phones, documents and images are increasingly handled in computerized format (hereinafter, a computerized document, image, or the like is referred to as a “file”). Each of these files is typically managed by an information technology device such that a user can retrieve and operate a desired file by operating the information technology device.
For instance, a technique of managing files in a tree structure, in which folders are nested, is employed in Windows (registered trademark) that is widely used as an operating system (OS) running on a PC or the like. Retrieval of a desired file is generally performed by walking through the tree structure in a top-down manner or in a bottom-up manner.
Conventionally, various techniques of displaying thumbnail images and/or icon images as visual representation of files and/or folders so that files can be managed intuitively have been proposed. For instance, Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-26829 discloses a technique directed to a user interface, with which icon images representing a plurality of folders at a higher level in hierarchy are laterally arranged in a higher-level display portion of a screen and thumbnail images representing a plurality of files that are at a lower level in the hierarchy and belong to a folder at a specific position are arranged in a lower-level display portion in an arrangement having a substantially-V-shaped lateral side geometry such that a thumbnail image at a specific position corresponding to the corner of the substantially V-shape is displayed in a relatively large size so that a user can have conceptual understanding of scrolling of the thumbnail images in response to operation performed by the user.
However, with this user-interface display apparatus, because a file management element, in units of which file management is to be performed, is a tree-structured folder, file management is performed with reference to the depth direction of the structure. Therefore, the greater the depth of the level of a folder in the hierarchy, the more complicated the operation to reach the folder becomes, which is disadvantageous.
In a tree structure, a position (level) of a folder corresponding to a specific node and that of another folder corresponding to another node differ from each other, which makes it difficult to intuitively make sense of the relationship between the folders.
To this end, the applicant has proposed a technique related to a file management apparatus that displays a plurality of symbol images, each of which represents a file management element, on a display unit in a matrix arrangement and displays, when one of the displayed symbol images is selected, a thumbnail image associated with the symbol image and registered on the display unit, thereby causing a user to make sense of relationship between the file management elements and performing file management efficiently (Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-124060).
FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a file management screen that displays a file managed by the file management apparatus, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-124060 mentioned above, and that is displayed on a display apparatus of a client computer connected to the file management apparatus via a network.
As illustrated in FIG. 23, on the display apparatus, areas P (places), in each of which files are to be registered, are displayed in a matrix and layer name areas L1 vertically arranged adjacent to the areas P and for use in management of places on the same row are displayed (place map screen). Such a matrix of places arranged in multiple layers on the place map screen is hereinafter referred to as a “place matrix.”
One of the layer name areas L1, the one being on the middle row, is named “favorite” while the other layer name areas L1 are displayed as “new layer” because their names are not determined yet. A place attribute, a place name, and the like, which are indices entered by a user for characterization of each place, of the area P at the middle of the middle-row layer are registered. The registered place name of this area is “My Place.”
Each of the other areas P, of which place attribute, place name, and the like are not registered yet, is displayed as “New Place!”.
Data pertaining to a file managed by the file management apparatus can be registered only when the data is associated with an area P whose place attribute and place name are registered. More specifically, in the example depicted in FIG. 23, registration of a file is allowed only by causing the file to be associated with the area P whose place name is “My Place” among the areas P arranged in a matrix.
To register a file in a desired place in the place matrix, it is necessary for a client computer to launch special-purpose software that can handle location information about areas of the matrix and to perform login process and the like.
Meanwhile, there are some cases where a user desires to perform only file uploading under a circumstance where viewing a place map screen is unnecessary.
This does not arise a problem when the special-purpose software is run already and continuously; however, in a case where running the special-purpose software can interfere with a work performed by the user, such as a case where the user is performing an operation by using another application software on the client computer, it has been necessary to perform preparatory operation, such as launch of the special-purpose software, every time when uploading a file.